MCN Fleet
These are the 11 new-for-2021 bikes that will be joining this year’s MCN long-term test fleet. From off-roaders to nakeds, superbikes to adventure machines, our team of highly experienced riders will be taking them on road, track and dirt – hopefully both at home and abroad – to cut through the marketing hype and find out just how well each one performs.
Along the way we’ll be testing tyres, kit and hard-parts, speaking to experts and owners, logging every tank of fuel and enjoying each and every mile in order to bring you the most thorough review possible. And if you own one of these models, please get in touch with us and we’ll compare notes.
To read each bike's full review, click on the images below. We will continue to update these pages as the year progresses. There will also be plenty of posts to social media, our #ride5000miles page and videos on our YouTube channel.
Click on the pictures below:
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MCN Fleet 2021 videos
View a selection of expert video reviews of some of our long-term test bikes from their respective launches.
Triumph Trident 660
Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Aprilia RS660
Check out previous MCN Fleets below:
MCN Fleet: 5252 miles on our BMW S1000R
25 November 2021 by
600 miles 26 May, 5pm: take delivery. Having had the original S1000R in 2014, which I loved, I can’t wait to ride the new one. It’s much like the old bike, albeit that bit more refined and...
MCN Fleet: A lesson on how to corner on track with the Moto Guzzi V7
11 November 2021 by
In my last update, I mentioned riding around Silverstone as part of the Day of Champions on the Moto Guzzi V7. It was my first time ever on a track, even though it was part of a procession, and...
MCN Fleet: Can you really tour on a Kawasaki ZX-10R?
05 November 2021 by
Screaming around the British countryside on a sunny Sunday afternoon as though it’s the mid-noughties is one thing, but what about those times you want to go a little further afield? The ZX-10R’s...
MCN Fleet: Adding protection and effortless usability to the Ducati Multistrada V4S
04 November 2021 by
In my last update I promised to talk about the very few non-standard bolt-ons that I’ve, er, bolted on in the pursuit of protection and usability. It’s not a long list. I’m not really a trinkets...
MCN Fleet: The Suzuki Hayabusa takes on its first trackday
01 November 2021 by
"You’re not actually planning on riding that around here, are you?" They’re all sniggering as I roll up. Yet what the other trackday-goers waiting to get out on circuit at Blyton Park don’t...
MCN Fleet: So how delirious is Ali some 22 hours, 1078 miles, 7 espressos later
01 November 2021 by
For some mad reason I’ve agreed to take part in an Iron Butt SaddleSore, so along with Justin on a BMW F900XR, I’m putting myself and the Yamaha Tracer 9GT to the test. The plan is to ride 1000 miles...
MCN Fleet: Honda CRF300 Rally takes on a bit of moist motorway service
30 October 2021 by
I don’t know how it does it, but every year, there is one month that always comes up trumps, and this year was no exception, I am talking about September, it manages to show up August every time. I...
MCN Fleet: Two new screen solutions tested on the KTM 890 Adventure R
12 October 2021 by
Those of you who have read anything about my life with the KTM 890 Adventure R will know that it’s pretty much everything I want from an adventure bike. Incredibly capable off-road, whilst being fast...
MCN Fleet: What’s really worth installing on your Aprilia RS 660
11 October 2021 by
When I first took the keys to the Aprilia RS 660, my mission was clear: I wanted to turn it into the ultimate arrive-and-ride trackday bike. I’ve experimented with tyres, fitted accessories and even...
MCN Fleet: Trident tweaks for touring
08 October 2021 by
Hinckley’s newest sports tourer was revealed in the August 25 issue, with the Tiger Sport 660 promising more comfort than the naked Trident. However, I’m an impatient sod, so while we’re waiting for...
MCN Fleet: Forget everything you know about a Harley
02 August 2021 by
Speaking very personally, the Harley-Davidson Pan America is one of the most exciting bikes I’ve been able to test in my entire time at MCN. Why? Because I genuinely didn’t have a clue what it would...
MCN Fleet: The Honda Fireblade SP finds a permanent home
07 April 2021 by
Maybe it’s the 'Lockdown Effect', or perhaps it’s what’s known as a mid-life crisis (they’re not just for men, you know?) But whatever the reason, the result is I’m now the proud co-owner of a 2020...
MCN Fleet: Can the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro devour its rivals?
25 March 2021 by
My love affair with adventure bikes started way back in 2006 when I blagged a go on a friends KTM 950 Adventure. I was still into my sports bikes at the time, mainly 600 supersports but the KTM...
MCN Fleet: A Ducati Streetfighter for less?
19 March 2021 by
This is my third Ducati Streetfighter – I love ‘em. The latest V4 option is far from cheap, but there is a more affordable way to own one: get a used 1098 or 848 model. My first Streetfighter...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT post-it pad video review
18 March 2021 by
After a year living with the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT, News Editor Jordan Gibbons gives his video verdict. Watch the full film above and catch previous updates below. Related: Full Suzuki V-Strom...
MCN Fleet: The KTM 1290 Super Duke GT is good, but not perfect
18 March 2021 by
I couldn’t believe my luck when I was entrusted with KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT. Grabbing the keys in early February, I couldn’t wait to put its 173bhp V-twin to the test on track and lose my European...
MCN Fleet Yamaha Ténéré 700 long-term test round-up
17 March 2021 by
I’ve spent the strangest year of my life as custodian of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and some of the best bits of it were spent in the saddle. Here’s how the last 12 months unfolded. Previous MCN Fleet...
MCN Fleet: Auf Wiedersehen Pet! Fond farewell to the BMW F900XR
26 January 2021 by
It was a difficult year to put miles on a long-term test bike and I've given it back feeling like I had much to learn. Here's a timeline of what I did manage to acheive with the bike and you can find...
MCN Fleet: Where did 2020 go on the Kawasaki Z H2
26 January 2021 by
Well, I feel I have blinked and missed 2020, which actually may be a good thing in some ways. I do though feel I have been robbed of some of the fun times I could have had out on the truly bonkers...
MCN Fleet: Would I buy the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports?
23 December 2020 by
Last week, a reader asked me if I have a favourite manufacturer – not something I’ve really thought about before – and that got me thinking about my own bikes and the Honda Africa Twin I’ve now spent...
MCN Fleet: Video round-up of 2020 with the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
17 December 2020 by
See the video above to find out what Gareth thinks of the Interceptor after spending 2020 riding, modifying and working it. Update 8: Further afield on our Enfield First published...
MCN Fleet: time to wash and go
09 March 2020 by
It’s time to wave goodbye to the Honda CBR650R and I’ll be really sad to see it go. Related: full expert Honda CBR650R review on MCN One of my concerns at the start of this long-term test was that...
MCN Fleet: Waving goodbye to Kawasaki’s Green Giant
02 March 2020 by
'Christ this thing’s big… I’m not sure what I’ve got myself in for here,' is what I told myself as I wobbled out of the MCN carpark for the first-time aboard Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 SE almost a year...
MCN Fleet: Commuting is a piece of cake on the Yamaha XMAX 400
05 February 2020 by
This time of year depresses me - the days are grey, nights are long and winter feels like it’s never going to end. There is one ray of sunshine though, my daily commute on the Yamaha XMAX 400...
MCN Fleet: KTM 790 Adventure R delivers on its potential
20 January 2020 by
The start of every year is always filled with such high expectation of rides, adventures and quality time on your bike. But life is busy and it’s so easy for the summer months to drift past and you...
MCN Fleet: The cat's out of the bag for the Scrambler XE
14 January 2020 by
The look of a bike is one thing, but the sound of a bike, well now you’re talking. For me, my ultimate is a big thumping single. To my ears, it’s unbeatable. The big twin Triumph Scrambler 1200XE...
MCN Fleet: A grand off the Suzuki Katana could prove tempting
14 January 2020 by
Suzuki somewhat jumped on the bandwagon with the 2019 Katana having no doubt seen the success of the Kawasaki Z900RS. Take a tried and tested road bike, in this case the Suzuki GSX-S1000, give it a...
MCN Fleet: Torquey Triumph Speed Twin shows mercy on its stock tyres
13 January 2020 by
Looking back on those heady days of Springtime, when the tarmac was warm and the Triumph Speed Twin's odometer was only showing triple digits, I distinctly remember wondering about how much abuse the...
MCN Fleet: Simon meets another owner to swap Scrambler stories
09 January 2020 by
One of the cool things about niche bikes like the Ducati Scrambler Café Racer is that owners tend to be real enthusiasts and there are a couple of really active Facebook groups where the Scrambleristi...
MCN Fleet: Final Farewell for Ducati Diavel 1260S
28 November 2019 by
It’s been an interesting year of riding; not my most enjoyable but that’s not the fault of the beautiful Ducati Diavel 1260S. The bike’s a stunner and has a shopping list of top spec parts that...
MCN Fleet: 21 weeks, 9096 miles and one hell of a ride
12 November 2019 by
419 miles Friday 31 May. Moments after grabbing the keys to my 2019 BMW S1000RR I’m heading to the Nürburgring, marvelling at my Beemer’s lightness and low-down torque. Cruise control, heated...
MCN Fleet: Can Yamaha’s Niken GT cut it as a genuine mile-muncher?
03 October 2019 by
It’s just gone 1.30am as I fire up the Niken’s triple and prepare to negotiate my way off the Steam Packet’s catamaran on my return from the Isle of Man. I’m one of the last to leave, mainly because...
MCN Fleet: 4600 miles in on the Indian FTR1200S
16 September 2019 by
For the most part, the Indian FTR1200S is great out of the crate but (there’s always a but) the stock Dunlop DT3-R tyres leave a lot of room for improvement. In the dry they’re fine but the savage...
MCN Fleet: The BMW R1250GSA is a robot with personality
23 May 2019 by
I really wanted to find a catastrophic flaw in the BMW R1250GSA’s skill set this year. It’s nothing personal, but having covered around 35,000 miles on GSs over the last five years, the cachet of...
MCN Fleet: It's the final countdown...for the Yamaha Tracer 900GT
28 February 2019 by
Update 15: Retracing My Steps It’s been a fun-filled ten months and life won’t be the same now I’ve said goodbye to the Yamaha Tracer 900GT. With my longest solo tour to date, and weekends away with...
MCN Fleet: The Suzuki SV650X is like owning a puppy
06 February 2019 by
Or at least I think it is… Over the last 11 months the £6199 Suzuki SV650X has wormed its way into my heart and I will be sad to see it go back to its true custodians in the coming weeks. With...